171,907 hectares of land affected by wildfires

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that as of August 7, 179 separate wildfires affected a total of 171,907 hectares of land throughout the nation, a 64.2 percent increase compared to last year.

Of the 171,907 hectares affected, 115,907 hectares are open land and 56,000 hectares are forests.

There have been 17 cases of wildfires in Ulaanbaatar and 162 fires in 59 soums in Arkhangai, Bayan-Ulgii, Bulgan, Dornod, Zavkhan, Sukhbaatar, Selenge, Tuv, Khovd, Khuvsgul, and Khentii provinces.

Currently, there are two ongoing wildfires in Mandal soum of Selenge Province. Emergency personnel have been successful in containing five wildfires in Mandal and Eruu soums. A total of 132 emergency personnel, 197 local residents, and 25 vehicles have been deployed around the area.

In order to combat 179 wildfires, NEMA deployed 3,065 personnel and 307 vehicles. Around 193 border patrol soldiers, 480 soldiers from the armed forces, and 43 vehicles were deployed from the Army. The police contributed 39 officers and two vehicles. Local residents made up the majority of people combating fires with 4,504 volunteers, 479 vehicles and 55 motorcycles volunteered to help put out the forest fires. In total, 8,281 people, 831 vehicles, 55 motorcycles and machinery, and 204 horses were used to combat wildfires this year.

The UB Post was first founded in 1996, and has since become Mongolia’s leading English-language news outlet. As part of the broader Mongol News group, the UB Post provides comprehensive coverage of social, economic and political developments in Mongolia and elsewhere.